Former France captain Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as the new head coach of the France national football team, replacing Didier Deschamps.
The 54-year-old will lead Les Bleus through the 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Reacting to his appointment, Zidane said coaching the French national team was both a dream and a tremendous honor.
“It is a great source of pride for me to coach France. This has always been my dream,” Zidane said, adding that he had received several offers to coach club teams over the past five years but turned them all down because his only ambition was to take charge of the national side.
He said he was fully prepared for the challenge and would devote all his efforts to ensuring the team’s success.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in French history, Zidane captained France to its first FIFA World Cup title in 1998. He was also named the tournament’s best player at the 2006 World Cup, although his career ended on a controversial note after receiving a red card in the final for headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi.
As a coach, Zidane enjoyed remarkable success with Real Madrid, leading the Spanish club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and two La Liga championships.
Since stepping down as Real Madrid manager in May 2021, Zidane had not taken charge of another team until his appointment as France head coach.
